A Dangerous Play
by hairaru
Summary: When Vaati is summoned by a group of inexperienced mages, he runs off with the beloved Princess of Hyrule. But she is a force to be reckoned with too...at least for the moment.
1. The Summons

A few people probably read this chapter when it was posted under the name of 'The Summons.' Being a bit of an idiot, I accidentally deleted the entire thing while trying to edit it, because I decided I was going to write more. So there you go!

* * *

"A storm is brewing."

The murky golden light seeped through cracks in the sanctuary walls, casting an eerie glow on the kneeling girl. She glanced up at her companion's words- a monstrous cloud rolled across the sky, eating all others in its path. It seemed very fitting for what they were about to do.

The whole atmosphere was tense- not only in the weather, but in the dozen or so hooded figures that crowded around her, barely looking at each other. Just being here on a night like this made _her_ jittery with awe, and she found it hard to stop her hands from shaking as she pulled out a chalk from her pouch.

"Terryl, pass me the spellbook."

Ignoring the other girl's slight hesitation -was she too thinking of backing out? - she hastily flipped through the book, and went she got to the page she wanted, went around the pedestal, sketching small eyes at certain points, which lit up when she tapped them.

"Uhh, Fleta?" An older boy tapped her shoulder lightly. "Why are you doing that?"

"Sealing spell. Makes sure the first thing he does_ isn't _blast us to pieces."

"Oh." He relaxed. "I suppose that's good."

"Oh, you _suppose_." She dropped the chalk back in her pouch and stood up, dusting herself off and glaring at him. "Leave, Marco. Go home if you don't think you can handle this. I'd like to see you get out unnoticed from the castle _now_, though." Taken aback by her sudden abruptness, Marco raised his hands and backed off slowly.

Fleta turned back to the other mages and smiled, a slightly feverish look now in her eyes.

"Bring forth the princess."

A slight movement from the heart of the group brought a young woman, no older than 17, dragged forward by two mages. Her reddish hair was beginning to escape from it's bun, giving her a slightly wild appearance despite the noble way she held herself.

"Let me go, sorceress."

"Not until you carry out your duty, Your Highness." Fleta murmured. "And even then, I doubt you'll just walk away."

Zelda's eyes flashed and she struggled against her captors, but they only tightened their grip on her arms.

"Take her to the sword."

The mages pulled her, still struggling, to the pedestal, dropping her arms and almost rushing away when she was just outside the circle of eyes.

"Touch the hilt."

"I'm afraid I cannot reach."

"I'm sure you can, if you try."

"I think not."

"Don't play coy, Princess."

Zelda cried out in shock as someone shoved her violently onto the pedestal, sending her crashing to the ground. Her hand brushed the hilt of the sword as she fell, Fleta laughing out in glee.

"Oh, look at the Princess now! Stumbling and bumbling all around the place like a child."

"Fleta, she's inside the circle!" Terryl sounded more worried than she should. "Are you sure-"

"Be quiet. It's done now." _If you move to help her up, you'll be very sorry. _

The spot where Zelda's hand had touched the sword started to glow with a soft light, then pedestal began to crack, a thick smoke spilling out and seeping among the mages and almost obscuring their vision. Fleta covered her mouth, choking on the acrid fog, many of the others doing the same.

With an almighty cracking noise, the sword was pushed up and sent flying across the sanctuary, a few of the mages scattering out of its way.

Silence fell.

No one even dared to breathe, all of them waiting in nervous anticipation for what would come next.

Then a low moan emerged from where the sword once stood. Almost like they were called, shadows crawled towards from every inch of the sanctuary, and the rest of it seemed unnaturally bathed in light.

The shadows swirling around the pedestal began to form different shapes. One minute they were what could pass for a young boy, the next a towering deity, then a single demonic winged eye. They couldn't seem to decide on one shape, discarding the demon form yet constantly flitting between the boy and the deity. Finally, they settled on something in-between.

Fleta saw what looked like a cloaked young man rise from the shadowy mass, his facial features still shifting until they became something even she could deem fair. He looked up, stumbled and hissed, as if the brightness beyond the gloom that surrounded him caused him great pain.

Raising one hand, he flicked his wrist and sent the shadows back to the quiet secluded corners they enjoyed so much. The sanctuary became bathed in murkiness again, the mages now half hidden themselves.

Vaati stepped off the pedestal, the sealing spell fading away and having no effect. Still, some shadows lingered around his cloak, which kept shifting into what resembled bat wings, as if they weren't sure he was even meant to be this form. The mages drew back further into the gloom as he passed- only Fleta dared to stay where she was, heart pounding as he leaned towards her.

_"So?"_

His voice came out raspy, years of disuse finally becoming clear. Even though she was the only one who didn't shrink away in fear, she had a feeling this man, despite his unexpectedly calm demeanour, wasn't all quite there...

"She's over there, if you were wondering..." she whispered, suddenly eager to detract attention away from herself. Zelda was still out cold from her fall, sprawled just below the pedestal.

The man smiled pleasantly and made his way towards the princess, who started to stir as he approached. He knelt beside her, as if concerned, pressing a hand gently to her face.

A minute later she shouted so loud even Fleta jumped, watching as the princess scrambled back in confusion. Vaati grabbed her arm to stop her from running off, pulled her up and warped away, the shadows that still surrounded him dissipating into the air.

Fleta could only stand there in shock. She hadn't expected to be left behind. She didn't appreciate being forgotten _all too quickly._

The others, once they were sure he was gone, crept out of the gloom and crowded round her again. _Like a bunch of scared cuccos, the lot of them._

"He didn't seem as angry as you said he'd be..."

"I don't know why he took the Princess though…"

"I wouldn't be so sure." Indeed, Fleta had half thought he'd come bursting forth and blast them all away without a second thought. Instead, she'd been met with someone cool and composed- not what she'd prepared for at all.

But it didn't matter now- Vaati was gone, and she hadn't the slightest idea where he'd taken the princess. She stood there in silence with the other mages, listening to the wind whistle eerily throughout the sanctuary, as if mourning their loss.


	2. The Break

Her head…her head was killing her.

Zelda sat up slowly, wincing and rubbing her eyes. It wasn't exactly anything to worry about. She was used to headaches, them often being a side effect of the magic she used, and she was sure she'd used a lot today. The court mages didn't go easy on her now, but she wasn't quite sure how she got up here- she didn't often pass out in her lessons with them.

Yawning, she blinked around at her surroundings, not wanting to leave the warmth of her bed. Something in here was bugging her now, though, and she couldn't quite place the feeling- surely she did have nothing to worry about? She had just been practicing her magic with the castle mages, and now was safe in her room. No one was permitted to set foot inside if she did not allow it, she had made sure of it.

_Everything looks familiar and yet….not quite._

Still feeling strangely anxious, she got up to check the shelves at the far end of her room, pulling off random books, tomes and sketchbooks alike. No, these were definitely hers. She did the same with her wardrobe- again, all the dresses were her own. Feeling increasingly ill, and not just from her headache, she pulled back the curtains, certain that the view of Castle Town in the evening would ease her mind.

But there was no town.

Only a golden sky, stretching as far as her eyes could see.

Zelda's stomach dropped, her hands shaking slightly as she let go of the curtain. She didn't need to lean out the window to check that she was actually_ in_ the sky- even the thought of looking down at endless clouds was making her dizzy.

"Feeling at home?"

She jumped at the snide voice, not having expected it, hearing a low laugh come from the speaker. Frowning, Zelda turned her head slowly, suddenly wary of showing any more surprise to whoever was behind her.

She was faced with a pale young man barely taller than she was, his long lilac hair flung carelessly over his shoulder. He was leaning across the door frame with his arms crossed, staring at her intensely.

"Remember me?" he said, spreading his hands in what seemed to be a gesture of welcome. He smirked at her blank expression. "Maybe not, then. You _were_ out cold the first time I saw you."

When she still didn't respond, he gestured around the room. "You're in the Palace of Winds. A nice change, huh? Courtesy of me, of course."

"Who are you?" Zelda's found her voice, and it came out much sharper than she had intended. _Well, at least that's better than sounding like a frightened child._

"Quick to question, aren't we?"

"Tell me who you are."

"Of course, you must be wondering who possibly could have _bothered_ to go to so much trouble for you."His smirk grew wider the more he spoke. "My name is Vaati."

_Vaati..._the name, only vaguely familiar to through books she perused as a child, nevertheless sent a slight chill down Zelda's spine. Although her knowledge of him was by no means great, she remembered whispers of the deeds he'd done, of his powerful wind magic which had wreaked havoc upon Hyrule...

But there was no way he could still be_ alive_. Not after hundreds of years of being locked in a sword.

She wasn't going to take any of this creep's rubbish. Some petty criminal taking the name of a legendary villain? Like _that_ hadn't been done a thousand times before. He probably only brought her up here to make himself more believable. Not that such tricks would work on her, of course.

"I don't believe a word you are saying. " Zelda made an emphasis on her words sounding cold and sharp, compared to this idiot's laid back banner. He had barely moved from the door, but she was sure she could overpower him with magic long enough to get out the room and warp away, should he prove to be lying. She could even get away if he was telling the truth, probably.

Vaati raised an eyebrow, staring at her apprasingly.

"I expected something different from Hyrule's Princess, frankly." He sighed, as if disappointed in her skepticism. "Trying to throw something at me, for a start. But fine. I'll prove it to you."

Without warning, a whirlwind lifted her up into the air, shaking her from side to side. She struggled to break free, and found herself flipped near upside down for her efforts. The magic was too sudden for her to defend herself, but even as Zelda was let down, shaking slightly but unhurt, it was obvious he wasn't going to attack a third time. In fact, Vaati was smiling pleasantly, as if he hadn't done a thing.

"_I_ don't believe little girls should question who I am." His voice was idle and carried no obvious trace of a threat, but it was distinctly cooler nonetheless. He gestured at the bed. "Go back to sleep. Someone will call for you later."

As he left, Vaati placed both hands on her door, creating a barrier of wind around her room that even Zelda was unsure she would be able to break easily. It blocked the windows too, making the room stifling.

"And don't even think about trying to escape, you're not going to get far. I'm not warning you a second time. "

Zelda sat on the bed once he left, not wanting to sleep in the slightest.

* * *

Hours later, she still had no idea why she was here, or what purpose she was to serve, if there was any at all. No one- or nothing- had called for her, and she had been sitting alone in 'her' room for hours, silently watching the sky slowly darken.

Something seemed off about Vaati. He seemed too...cheerful? No, that wasn't it at all. He'd swept her up into a whirlwind when she refused to believe him without question, for goddesses' sake! But otherwise, he hadn't been outright hostile to her, and it was a small blessing, because _that_ attack had certainly taken her by surprise.

But there was definitely something wrong. Zelda couldn't quite place her finger on it, but he hadn't seemed all quite there, despite his (mostly) calm attitude...for a start, there was no obvious reason as to why he had kidnapped her in the first place, and he had left her alone nearly the entire time. Definitely _not_ his usual style, from the little Zelda knew of his history. She had no recollection of how she even came to be in his grasps.

She wasn't exactly complaining, however. In all the time she'd been left alone, by Vaati or whoever else he had supposedly sent for her, she had been carefully plotting what she hoped would be her only escape.

But there was still one thing Zelda had to deal with- the barrier the mage had created was still strong enough to send her flying across the room even at the slighest touch, and even though she was sure he didn't care about her testing it out -it was to be expected-she was certain he'd know if she managed to break it, or use any serious magic. It all came down to her being quick and clever enough in finding a way outside without attracting too much attention to herself

_No big explosions for me today, then._

She slid off her bed and stood in front of her door, eyeing the near-invisible forcefield sternly. She'd never actually used the magic she was about to perform, but now she only had one chance...

Closing her eyes, she clasped her hands and murmured an incantation, feeling a warm breeze as she worked the spell.

When she was done, she reached out somewhat apprehensively, eyes still closed- her fingers brushed the door. She wasn't flung back like countless times before. She touched it again- nothing.

_Ah._

Slightly stunned at how easy it had been so far, Zelda checked the gloomy hall as she peered out the door door, silently praying that she'd be alone. Careful not to make a sound, she slid across the hall, her dress spilling out behind her like a shadow.

She had no idea how long it would be before Vaati picked up on her magic, so she was counting on finding an easy way to the open air. A window alone would not do.

_Zelda…._

She froze; ready to run at the slightest hint of movement. Had that just been her imagination, playing on her fears of being caught?. But no, there it was again. Her name whispered in the wind.

She quickened her pace, even less eager to linger. Checking her direction with a hastily muttered spell, she found that she was already heading directly towards a point that would be easily to warp from.

_I can see where you are…._

_I have to get out quicker! _Moonlight flickered distantly in front of her as she sped towards it, eager for the safety it would bring her. Once she was out, she was good as gone from this foul palace and the crazy sorcerer who had brought her here.

"Oh? Do you possibly think you are going somewhere?"

It was him.

His voice still wasn't openly hostile, which struck her as odd. _Then again, it's not the weirdest thing he's done so far._

"Yes. Yes I do." She spun around, her expression unreadable, staring him right in the eye.

Vaati laughed, taking a step forward. "But of course you aren't."

"And why is that?"

"Because I told you that you wouldn't get far."

"Well then." Zelda weighed her options, careful not to let her mask slip. "I suppose you'll have to…."

She dashed past him, dodging his lunge at her. He turned to chase after her, hot on her heels, but not quite close enough to reach. She got halfway down the hall before he decided to attack again.

As a gust of wind made its way towards her, Zelda dodged towards a pillar, raising both hands and muttering a spell in an attempt to protect herself. She had expected it, and was prepared this time, but something went wrong- she tripped and fell, crying out in shock as she landed sprawled across the cold marble floor. Pale hands shot out and held her down the second she tried to get back up, and the mage laughed at her caught in his trap.

But Zelda was doing a good job fighting back this time, if Vaati's suddenly pained expression above her was anything to go by. The very air around her seemed to stir, and now_he_ was pushed away violently, sent flying across the hall.

"W-wind magic, huh?" he wheezed, not looking directly at her. "Impressive, but not a touch on me."

She merely stared at him, refusing to answer to his taunts this time. It didn't matter - she had done enough here to allow her to escape.

Zelda was almost at the end of the hall when she heard him stir far behind her.

"Did you _really_ think I would let you leave so easily?

_No..._

Before she could get out, another gust of air hit straight into her gut, slamming her against the wall. She struggled to get up- the magic slammed the wind out of _her_ again.

Vaati was standing again, barely showing that he had just been flung to the floor like a doll by the struggling princess before him. He grabbed her by both hands and wrenched her up, ignoring her kicking legs. He whispered something so softly that even Zelda, who was very close to him now, couldn't quite hear it- was it another spell? A curse? A rich golden light began to emanate from their entwined hands, glowing tendrils snaking their way up his arm, and he let go of her, stepping back.

"What did you just-"

"I said I wasn't going to warn you a second time."

She raised her hand as if to cast another spell against him, but stopped short when she found nothing.

No magic flowed through her anymore.

_I...I don't have..._

_He..._

"Well, you should make your way back to your room, Princess. I don't fancy your chances escaping now, unless, of course, you _want_ to be scattered across Hyrule Field." She was barely listening to what he was saying, staring down at her hands in horror. Her loss cut deeper than any words he could say to her.

* * *

Well! This took quite a while, but I hope it was worth it.

I feel like I should make a disclaimer here, though, after a few PMs I got- if you've come here expecting smut or romance YOU'VE COME TO THE WRONG FIC, KIDDO. I _do_ in fact ship Vaati/Zelda, but I am godawful at writing romance, plus I don't think it'd be appropriate for this story at ALL, haha! Please don't message me asking if there's gonna be any.

How I'm writing Vaati here is really different to how I first imagined I was going to- I don't want to make him flat-out evil since those kinds of interpretations irritate the hell out of me, but I certainly didn't want to make him nice! Zelda's definitely confused as to what his 'true' personality is.

**Jadely - **Thank you!

**Roro**- I probably took a little longer to update than I said I would but YES thank you c:


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